FBI Releases Documents in Jackson Probes

Dec. 22, 2009

By EILEEN MURPHY

Government documents released today show that the FBI assisted Santa Barbara, Calif., officials in their attempt to get cooperation from a person who could have been a key witness in the 2005 case child molestation case against Michael Jackson: the boy who accused the pop star of molesting him in 1993.

No criminal charges were ever filed in the 1993 case. Instead the then 12-year-old boy refused to cooperate with officials and accepted a multi-million dollar settlement from Jackson.

The documents released today under the Freedom of Information Act show that the FBI and Santa Barbara officials met in 2004 with Jackson's 1993 accuser, but were unsuccessful in getting his cooperation.

Jackson was acquitted of all charges in the 2005 case, which went to trial.

The heavily redacted FBI documents do not reveal the name of the boy that officials met with.

"Victim indicates that he has no interest in testifying against Jackson," according to the documents, "and would legally fight any attempt to do so."

Prior to the FBI's interview with the accuser, the documents show that the FBI helped Santa Barbara prosecutors with "interview strategies for a victim who alleged that Michael Jackson had abused him in 1993."

The documents also quote the boy as saying that he "believed that he had done his part," presumably referring to his initial involvement with law enforcement before agreeing to a civil settlement with Jackson that is believed to be $20 million.

Former FBI Behavioral Unit agent Ken Lanning, who consulted on the 2003 molestation case, told ABCNews.com today that this kind of coordination is common.

"Child molestation cases are the type of cases that involve multi agencies," he said. "There were potential federal violations and the FBI has jurisdiction in a couple of areas. What the FBI behavioral analysis unit does is try to work on the approach, help them understand the issues."

The documents also reveal that Santa Barbara police had concerns about a possible terrorist attack related to the 2003 arrest of Jackson, which led to a request for FBI assistance. The FBI concluded there was no threat.

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The 1993 accuser's mother, June did testify at the trial 2005 and told the court that the ordeal with Jackson in 1993 fractured the boys family and cost her the relationship she had with her son.

the accusers father Evan killed himself last month. A onetime Beverly Hills dentist, Evan was found in his New Jersey waterfront apartment dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Sources close to the family say his suicide most likely stemmed from his longtime debilitating illness.

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During the 2005 trial it was known that the FBI's behavioral and forensics units had consulted on the case, but the file released today reveals that various arms of the FBI assisted the Santa Barbara district attorney's office.

They included the crimes against children unit (CACU), innocent images national initiative against children unit, computer analysis response team (CART), the FBI lab, Los Angeles NCAVC coordinator and the Department of Justice's child exploitation and obscenity section (CEO's).